Could someone help me with the following question. I have tried the Canon Rebel T3i and I really like it. I am now trying the Nikon D5100 and I like it also. It stamps the picture which I like and it has many scenes that the Rebel does not have. But I find, I might be wrong though, that the Nikon's pictures are not as crsp and clean as the Rebel. I have been to different sites and I have seen examples of both which state the opposite of what I am saying but I find that the Nikon's shots are soft and not as crisp and clean as the Rebel. In your expert opinions, what's more important, crisp, clean shots or a camera that gives good shots but soft but stamps the date on the picture, and has a wide variety of different scenes? I would really appreciate some guidance on this.

Having a sharp photo is MUCH (As in MUCH MUCH) more important than scene modes or date stamps, I never stamp photos or use scene modes, getting the sharpest images is the most important. However, generally getting a sharp photo relates to having a sharp lens, not the camera. In case you mean noise (graininess) the cameras are pretty similar.

Sharpness comes from many variables, and is rarely something attributed to the brand of camera. First, different manufacturers use different default settings - some like to add more sharpening to their JPGs, some leave them softer to be tuned up in post. All cameras have user customization for picture settings and can be adjusted to raise or lower the sharpening, so you can bring down the Canon or bring up the Nikon to basically deliver the same style. Shoot in RAW, and it's a non issue, as you process your own JPGs to suit your taste.

Sharpness is also an attribute of the lens used...some lenses are soft, some razor sharp. Some kit lenses are better than others.

Sharpness is an attribute of focus accuracy, and aperture setting. Are you comparing the exact same aperture, of the exact same subject, in the exact same lighting? If not, too many variables to say one is definitively sharper than another.

All of the manufacturers are so close as to be equals - Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Pentax are so close in performance across the board that the other variables - picture settings in the camera, photographer skill, quality of lens used, and post-processing capabilities - are what make the difference in the quality of the image.